Yaroslavsky makes it official: he's not running for Congress

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky put out a statement this morning confirming that he will not run for the Henry Waxman seat in Congress. (In case you were going to ask.) This leaves the race likely shaping up as a clash between South Bay State Sen. Ted Lieu and his backers and former Los Angeles controller Wendy Greuel and her supporters, with Marianne Williamson and possibly others fighting for attention. It's a top two primary race so party won't matter so much — two Democrats could make the general election in November, for instance — and it's a Democratic district.

Yaroslavsky's note:

I will not be a candidate for the congressional seat being vacated by Henry Waxman. Indeed, the last thing I thought I would be doing in February, 2014, was considering another run for office. But I was asked by several close political and personal friends to think about that proposition, and over the last week, I have done so. In the end, I decided against starting a new career in Congress at this stage of my life. I said in 2012 that four decades in elected office was long enough, and I meant it. I am committed to public service and to advancing those public policies I have believed in all my life, but I intend to do so outside of elected office.

Williamson's campaign sent out a note today saying the self-help author and spiritual guide leads in fundraising, social media activity and volunteers.

Despite the flurry of attention given to Democrats jumping into the race for retiring Congressman Henry Waxman's seat in California District 33, only one candidate in the race has raised $367,000 since her announcement, with an average donation of $51; has 7,079 donors to her campaign; has 2,569 volunteers; has a social media reach of nearly 1 million per week with 419,000 Facebook likes and 210,000 Twitter followers; and has taken a stand for a new vision for America before Congressman Waxman's retirement announcement created an opportunity for career politicians.

That candidate is Marianne Williamson. Her message is that the United States government has become a system of legalized corruption due to the excessive influence of money on our politics, and that the greatest moral challenge of our generation is to outlaw such corruption by passing a Constitutional amendment. As an independent voice, Marianne's ability to reach out to voters throughout District 33 has given her a unique platform from which to wage her campaign.